28 posts from June 2005

30 June 2005

First some may be asking what is RSS. RSS is at its core a XML file that is updated as new content is published. Using RSS Feed aggregator software you can subscribe to these RSS feeds of blogs like this Between the Lines blog using the link on the left side menu, discussion groups like the Autodesk discussion groups (see Robin Capper's article), and now the Autodesk product knowledge bases. RSS feeds allow you to get updates when new articles are published to the knowledge base. Think of it like a active notification of new items. You can even get most RSS feed aggregating software to provide notification balloons in your system tray or desktop when something is new.

There are many free RSS Feed reading software programs out there. I use RSS feeds because they allow me to read updates to blogs, knowledge base items, and discussion group posts at blazing speeds. It is just like skimming a newspaper for headlines of articles that may interest you. I monitor hundreds and skim through them in about 10 minutes. I also know people that watch as much as 900 RSS feeds.

I recieved an email from a customer on how to add a slide menu to AutoCAD 2006.

Question: I like to create my own pull down menus with slides for inserting blocks. As you know, we would create a file.mnu and created the companion file.slb. With 2006 this has apparently changed but I can't find instructions on how to do this in 2006. Can you point me in the correct direction? Can I still create the file.mnu and AutoCAD will convert it to the file.cui file?

Reply: AutoCAD 2006 will convert a previous MNU file to a .cui file. From there you can use the CUI editor to edit it or add new elements. Use the CUI command to access the CUI Editor.

To add slides in the CUI you define them in the CUI under the legacy node option for tile menus. There are topics in the AutoCAD 2006 Help file for tile menus. Search for the topic "Create Image Tile Menus".

From the AutoCAD 2006 HelpTo create an image tile menu and assign an image tile slide

1. Click Tools >menu >Customize >Interface or use the CUI command. 2. In the Customize User Interface dialog box, Customize tab, in the Customizations In <file name> pane, click the plus sign (+) next to Legacy to expand the list. 3. In the Legacy list, right-click Image Tile Menu. Click New Image Tile Menu. A new image tile menu (named ImageTileMenu1) is placed at the bottom of the Image Tile Menus tree.

4. Do one of the following: Enter a new name over the ImageTileMenu1 text. Right-click ImageTileMenu1. Click Rename. Then, enter a new image tile name. 5. In the Command List pane, drag a command to the new image tile menu in the Customizations In <file name> pane. 6.In the Properties pane, enter properties for the new image tile slide. 7. When you finish, click OK.

The free AUGIWorld magazine also had some good information on the CUI feature. All you need to do is become a member of AUGI which is free. Go to http://www.augi.com. You can then find the AUGIWorld archives in PDF format from http://www.augi.com/publications/.

After a short guessing game on where I was traveling to, I revealed it was Amsterdam. I will be in the Netherlands on business from the 10th of July to the 15th. I will be traveling from Amsterdam to the Eastern portion of the Netherlands.

If anyone that lives in the Netherlands and wants to go for lunch or dinner and chat about AutoCAD, email me at [email protected] with the email subjectline of "Netherlands Trip" to discuss.

28 June 2005

Much of the former keyhole product is now free after having been acquired by Google. there is a Beta 1 now available for download. There are some new updated features included. This is a fun product and I have found myself in past versions spending way too much time in it.

* Geography: 61% of the visitors are from the United States and 23% are from Western Europe .

* Languages: English accounted for 72% with German, Dutch, and Japanese and many others listed.

At this rate I should hit half a million before the end of the summer and perhaps even triple that again over the next 12 months if the last 12 month trending holds true but that would be a stretch. I truly appreciate all those that read this blog around the world and should you have any questions, ideas, or feedback please feel free to send them to me at [email protected] While I cannot provide product support for everyone I do try to answer all that I can. I will also start sharing some of the questions and answers on the blog to hopefully help others reading or searching in Google or search engines.

Autodesk is conducting weekly usability studies for AutoCAD future features at our facility in San Rafael California. For these sessions we need participants with all levels of experience with AutoCAD and other industry-associated applications.

A typical in-lab session lasts 1-1.5 hours and you will be paid $60 for your time. You will be working with product designers/usability engineers and helping us to validate future features or changes.

In many cases it is possible to book two sessions back to back and we will double compensation for your time. If you are interested or would like more information please contact: [email protected].

We also hold sessions in many locations around the world as well as online sessions so stay tuned for more opportunities to participate in the usability sessions. You can also sign up at http://myfeedback.autodesk.com/ to get involved in the AutoCAD Futures projects.

As a current Autodesk subscription customer you get many benefits including some professional e-Learning lessons. You can get to the e-Learning lessons by logging into the Subscription Center at www.autodesk.com/subscriptionlogin. Most of the 2006 software products allow subscription customers access to e-Learning through the Help menu. Simply click on Subscription e-Learning from the Help menu.

27 June 2005

The release candidate for DWF™ Toolkit 7 features portability across Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Apple Mac OS X. The toolkit’s debut on May 25, 2005 has many users asking about what is now possible with the new toolkit. To answer this question properly requires an understanding of the structure of a DWF file as well as the Autodesk DWF Viewer.

The DWF format is based on industry standards. For example, a DWF file itself is actually a standard zip file. The zip file contains a manifest, which is like a table of contents, constructed from XML – another industry standard. In addition to the manifest, the DWF file contains 2D and 3D streams of graphics. You can actually rename any DWF file to have a .zip extension and see the manifest, 2D streams, 3D streams, thumbnail, etc. inside.

The DWF Toolkit provides an application program interface (API) for reading and writing 2D or 3D DWF files. This free piece of software allows third-party developers to build applications that create and view multisheet 2D and 3D DWF files, object properties, DWF Composer markups, and more. The toolkit contains C++ libraries that aid in the generation, reading, and parsing of DWF files. Companies can use it to work with DWF files without having to understand the underlying data format. The DWF toolkit contains support for DWF files as defined with the release of AutoCAD 2006.

The DWF toolkit is actually comprised of several smaller toolkits – each with a special purpose:

1. DWFTK – reads and writes the DWF format including the manifest and the zip structure2. WhipTK – reads and writes the 2D graphics streams3. W3DTK – reads and writes the 3D graphics streams4. DWFCore – provides a basic framework for building a DWF-related application

These four toolkits have been written in a platform independent way so that they operate on Windows, Linux, or Mac OS X. Compared to earlier versions, DWF Toolkit 7 provides a more obvious API, faster XML parsing, and optimizes string processing. With the introduction of DWFCore in DWF Toolkit 7, developing a DWF application has never been easier.

The Autodesk DWF Viewer and the Autodesk DWF Composer are two applications that make use of the DWF Toolkit. In addition to the DWF Toolkit, these applications make use of an underlying operating system to provide their functionality.

The Autodesk DWF Viewer and Autodesk DWF Composer also provide an API. This allows the viewers to be embedded in HTML pages, Microsoft Office documents, or other third party applications. The API for 2D viewing is available today. The API for 3D is under development. Unlike the DWF Toolkit which requires C++, programming to the viewer API can be done with other programming languages like Visual Basic.

The portability of the DWF Toolkit to the Mac OS X platform means that DWF-based applications can run on the Macintosh. For example, a company could now develop a translator application that converts ArchiCAD data to DWF. This application could now run on the Macintosh. As such, many Macintosh developers have downloaded the toolkit since it was posted on the Autodesk web site. The portability of the DWF Toolkit to the Linux platform means that DWF-based applications can run on the various flavors of Linux. For example, a company could now develop a server application that generates DWF files on demand. This application could now run on a Linux-based server. As such, many Linux developers have downloaded the toolkit since it was posted on the Autodesk web site. With the DWF Toolkit being platform independent, the future looks very promising for more and more DWF-based solutions.

* Menu files that contain a screen menu are incorrectly converted, resulting in extra spaces at the top.

Upon converting a menu file that contains a screen menu, erroneous blank lines are added at the top of the screen menu section. This can affect the display of commands that appear toward the bottom of the screen menu.

Description of ProblemEditing a CUI file could introduce duplicate entries (IDs) that may cause the file to become corrupt. Loading the corrupt CUI file results in an error message stating that the file is invalid and you can no longer customize the file.

<UPDATE 6/30/05>After many guesses such as Brazil, Seattle, Miami, Boston, Vancouver BC, Paris, crazy, and other guesses I am revealing the location. It was Amsterdam Netherlands. I will be there in about a week.

For those using the free Google Earth from earth.google.com here is the kmz location file. Download Amsterdam.kmz

If anyone that lives in the Netherlands and wants to go for lunch or dinner and chat about AutoCAD, email me at [email protected]

24 June 2005

I am unable to upload my images the the Daily Grind gallery for some unknown technical issue right now. I am however able to post a the images here in the main blog.

Photo from out front of the hotel in Plano Texas

Myself in the La Hacienda Ranch restaurant in Frisco Texas.

It is amazing what a great Texan dinner and a frozen margarita will do to you. I found myself trying to be a real Texan. I know it is embarrassing but found it funny. The La Hacienda Ranch was mentioned to be owned by the inventor of the frozen margarita.

23 June 2005

I have been in Dallas Texas for the last 36 hours. I had a great time and met with some customers while there. I also had a great dinner at the La Hacienda which was reported as the location that invented the frozen margarita. I helped out with the Dallas Texas economy by getting lost a few times. This resulted in many toll booth donations since many of the major roads in Dallas are toll roads. The people in Dallas are uncommonly polite and friendly.

On the flight back tonight the plane flew over the large wildfires Northwest of Las Vegas. I got a few photos and will post other trip photos tomorrow.

21 June 2005

I wanted to mention that there are several AutoCAD tips published by Autodesk and many are for the new AutoCAD 2006. There are also tips for AutoCAD 2002, AutoCAD 2004, and AutoCAD 2005. Some of these tips may have first appeared in the AutoCAD Communication Center tips and tricks for those with that feature enabled.

Some example AutoCAD 2006 tips:

* Adding pull-down menus* Extracting Block Attributes* Creating workspaces for an Enterprise CUI file* Including object properties in table formula* Using trigonometic calculations in table formulas* Dynamic Blocks: Independent Base Point* Create an arc between two existing arcs* Changing the diameter of a circle in a Dynamic Block* Using the Network CUI file* Dynamic Blocks: To display the property value of an object in a block relative to the block reference* Improve the internal documentation of your drawing* Use the SHIFT key to extend objects within a trim operation* Using Dynamic Input* Isolating layers using layer groups, layer filters (doing what the LAYISO Express Tool does):* Change custom lookup property in Dynamic blocks* Dynamic Block Base Location: Start point or Midpoint* Using Reverse Lookup* Easily draw at an angle* Ensuring drawing integrity and ease of construction* Share your custom scales* Dynamic Block Attribute Locking* Finding the area of hatch entities* Convert and arc into a full circle* Transparent 3DORBIT* Counting objects in a drawing* Dynamic Block Base Point Type: Dependent or Independent* Performing calculations* Using "clean screen"* Save time when using the TRIM and EXTEND commands* A Handy button macro for creating a viewport in a layout

20 June 2005

The Autodesk Platform Technologies Division is looking to add to our Platform Technologies Design & Usability team. If you would be willing to relocate, have the experience, and are interested, you can contact Jeff Lopes (hiring manager) 415-507-8550. [email protected].

Position 1Product Designer for a new product from the company that makes AutoCAD, Revit, Inventor, and Architectural Desktop.

San Rafael, CA. As a mid-level designer you will join a team of very talented, driven designers and usability experts. We are focused on creating industry-standard products for architects, engineers, and presentation graphics professionals. In your role on the Platform Technologies Design & Usability team, you will be dedicated to a new product currently in conceptual design and prototyping phase; you will join a lead designer on that project. Your deliverables will include conceptual designs, paper and interactive mockups and prototypes, and user interface specifications. You will ensure discoverability, learnability, and usability through a methodological UCD approach that includes ongoing usability testing and customer visits. This new product integrates closely with Autodesk’s portfolio of existing products such as AutoCAD, so a working knowledge of AutoCAD or another of our products is required. Primary fields of expertise that are relevant for this position are architecture, mechanical design, industrial design, and design visualization. If you’ve got the background and would consider a career on the software side of things, this could be a very interesting option for you. Your domain and industry expertise are valuable. If you’re a skilled designer of buildings, objects, or graphical presentations, we can teach you how to apply your talent and domain expertise to software design. If you’re an interaction designer who happens to have a background in architecture or engineering, you’re already a perfect fit.

Serious candidates should be highly accountable and driven to exceed expectations. If you’re average or want to do contract work on the side, this is not the job for you. We work hard but have fun too, so we are looking for an individual with a positive personality plus dynamic interpersonal skills. (Available: immediately)

Position 2 Senior Product Designer for a new, strategic project

In this independent and unique new role, your primary focus will be to design onramps from within AutoCAD to more industry-specific Autodesk products such as Architectural Desktop, Revit, and Inventor. You will join a team of highly talented, driven designers and usability experts. We are focused on creating industry-standard products for the design community including architects, engineers, and presentation graphics professionals. As a member of the Platform Technologies Design & Usability team, you will be dedicated to this Onramps project for at least a year, taking the design from early concepts through final specifications. You will interact closely with several design teams across the company, coordinating smooth and logical ways to make AutoCAD customers aware of sophisticated new ways to work in our other products. You will ensure discoverability, learnability, and usability through a methodological UCD approach that includes ongoing usability testing and customer visits. This unique opportunity requires expertise with AutoCAD (ideally 2005 or 2006), and preference will be given to candidates with knowledge of one or more other products in the Autodesk product portfolio. Primary fields of expertise that are relevant for this position are architecture, mechanical design, industrial design, design visualization. If you’ve got the background and would consider a career as a user interaction designer, this could be a very interesting option for you. Your domain and industry expertise are valuable.

Serious candidates should be highly accountable and driven to exceed expectations. If you’re average or want to do contract work on the side, this is not the job for you. We work hard but have fun too, so we are looking for an individual with a positive personality plus dynamic interpersonal skills.

16 June 2005

I met yesterday with the AUGI Board of Directors as they are here in San Rafael California for a few days visiting Autodesk headquarters. It is always a pleasure meeting with them and discussing all sorts of topics including the CAD Camps. They all traveled a great distance to visit with us from locations like Yoshi Honda coming from Hawaii and the Mike Perry coming from the UK.

AUGI (Autodesk Users Group International) is the worlds largest Autodesk user group officially recognized by Autodesk as representing the Autodesk user community. AUGI has thousands of passionate Autodesk product users all sharing their knowledge. If you are not a member sign up as membership is free at http://www.augi.com.

From left to right:Robert Bell-TreasurerRichard Binning-Vice PresidentYoshi Honda-PresidentChris Lindner-SecretaryMike Perry-Member at LargeMark W. Kiker-Member at LargeRick McNeil-Member at Large

I get this question from time to time. It is usually asked after a customer has experienced a problem with a DWG file from someone else that was corrupted or had a problem. They ask how can they tell if the source of their DWG files is coming from a non-Autodesk writing applications which can be source or contributor of the problem DWG files.

Here is an answer:This is not something new. In AutoCAD since R14.01 you can set the system variable DWGCHECK to a value of 1. This will then provide an alert when you open a DWG that was last saved by a non-Autodesk application. You would not see the alert when opening a DWG file from Autodesk AutoCAD, Autodesk Revit, Autodesk Inventor or other Autodesk DWG writing applications or those using the Autodesk RealDWG.

0 - If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, you are warned before the drawing is opened.

1 - If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, or if it was saved by an application other than AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, you are warned before the drawing is opened.

2 - If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, you are notified on the command line.

3 - If a drawing that you try to open has a potential problem, you are notified on the command line. If the drawing has a potential problem and the drawing was saved by an application other than AutoCAD or AutoCAD LT, you are warned before the drawing is opened.

Autodesk has announced today a new Software Developers Kit "SDK" named Autodesk RealDWG 2006. This is a product for C++ and .NET developers to incorporate 100% DWG and DXF drawing files into their host applications. Host applications writing DWG files with the Autodesk RealDWG will be writing the same DWG file format as Autodesk AutoCAD does without requiring AutoCAD be installed on the same computer. The Autodesk RealDWG can read DWG files from AutoCAD 2.5 and write 100% DWG files the same as AutoCAD 2000 up to the current AutoCAD 2006.

09 June 2005

I am getting hooked on podcast listening. Podcasts are informative and/or humorous depending on the podcast you find on the web. A podcast is really nothing more than a .mp3 audio file that most any computer or audio device can play. The podcasts are like a radio show recorded. You can place them on your portable player and listen to them whenever you want to.

Check out the podcasts from the recent Chicago Realize Your Ideas Tour. Hear Guy Kawasaki and "podism", Lynn Allen on travel and a AutoCAD 2006 tip, Jonathan Knowles on DWF and a special announcement with HP, and Shane Griffith from Autodesk Media and Entertainment Division speaking about 3ds max and Viz.

I guess I will have to create a podcast to compete. Perhaps an informal interview with some inside Autodesk "deskers" and some customers that use Autodesk products on life, design, CAD, and whatever else comes to mind. I also have a videocast "vodcast?" created especially for the blog that I am trying to get the time to post here. I have been swamped with work lately and running shy on sleep.

Robin Capper is another fan of podcasting: http://rcd.typepad.com/rcd/ I think it would be great to get a podcast interview with Robin just to hear his New Zealand accent. ;-)

<update> Robin thinks I am the one that has the accent. He pointed out the podcast show "The Hobson & Holtz Report" where they commented on the Autodesk Realize Your Ideas Tour Blog and podcasts. This is available - Podcast #36: May 26, 2005. http://forimmediaterelease.biz/

One more interesting podcast item is here in San Francisco we had the top 3 talk AM radio station change it format from mainstream talk radio shows to independent podcasts and renamed itself as KYOU Open Source Radio. People can submit their podcasts to the station to be played to a large Bay Area audience.

The mainstream media and press are still trying to digest and adapt from the surge of change from content on the web, blogs and now podcasting. Many articles, breaking news, or information are starting to first appear on blogs before you even see them in the mainstream press. The landscape is changing as breaking news or articles are no longer constrained by month, week, day, hour or even minute but reduced to seconds. You also get a unique and new perspective. For example you can not only read about what the press thinks of something but perhaps you could read what a real world user of that product or service thinks in their own words.

It is an interesting time of information overload. If you learn how to manage within so much information by using aggregators and search engines you can be well informed and have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips and up on the latest news and opinions. It will also be interesting to see where everything is in one year as things change so rapidly these days.